Thanks for all the visits...

The stats only tell me that what I cook, and sometimes invent are a hit with a few people as time progresses. The most common search is "Potica" which was the subject of a single post. A labor intensive process in making a traditional slovene treat. I think I'll twist it up a bit and add in a recipe for an easier "Apple Potica" and "Blueberry Potica" if I can decipher down the photocopy of my grandmothers recipe.

Thai Corn Chowder

This recipe is a great one for something fast with minimal steps. Not quite stupid easy and does make a bit of a mess as you need the blender and its just one more thing that needs to be washed. Not a pain in the backside kind of mess, just extra clean up but well worth it.

I use the already minced lemon grass, but the dried stuff can be used just as well. I think the minced in the tube just has a bit more of a lemon back note that is easier to detect and adds a fresher grassiness to the dish that is absent in the dried. Not everyone can easily find the already minced, including me, so the dried is a good enough substitute.

Thai Corn Chowder

• 2 16 oz bags frozen corn - thawed
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 onion diced
• 1 red jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 T lemon grass puree (or equal dried)
• 2 T cilantro finely chopped
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly coat bottom of pan with olive oil and sweat the onions until translucent. Add onion to blender with 1 can broth, 1 bag of corn and cilantro. Process until nearly smooth.

Add a little more oil to the bottom of the pan, add lemon grass, jalapeno slices and garlic. Cook over low heat 30 seconds until the garlic is just starting to turn clear. Stir constantly so as to not burn the garlic. Add the corn puree, cayenne and remaining bag of corn to the pan. Increase heat and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add remaining broth to thin to consistency you like in a chowder. (Starch content of the corn varies so you may need the entire can to get it to the right consistency). Test for salt and pepper. Simmer 5-10 minutes until heated through.

Vegetable Beef and Noodle Soup

Soups are the indicated food option for a chilly winter night. I know, whining here but to us in So Cal the 50's are a chilly day its just how we are wired. Regardless of your definition of "Chilly" this soup hits the right spot when you want a light but fulfilling comfort food dinner. Add in a salad or bread and its complete.

Also, this soup is a great way to sneak in some of the less used vegetables, like rutabaga into the family diet. Sneak as in its got a mild but distinctive flavor that adds that little something extra to the soup but you don't have to tell them you did it. Do a nice small dice and no one is the wiser that it isn't a bit of some other veg that they actually do it. Its a Machiavellian approach to cooking, tell them only what they need to know and let the rest just happen. Works for me as I rarely get busted for sneaking something new in on them while getting to eat a veg I happen to like like the oft maligned rutabaga.

Vegetable Beef and Noodle Soup

• 1 lb sirloin or top round - sliced into small bite sized strips
• 1 large white onion - diced
• 2 carrots - sliced
• 2 stalks celery-sliced
• 1 rutabaga - fine diced
• 8 oz button mushroom, sliced
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 28 oz cans beef broth
• 3 c wide egg noodles
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Prep all the meat and vegetables. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large stock pot. Heat over medium high heat and add beef. Stir fry until well browned. Add vegetables and cook until onion is translucent. Add dried herbs and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 15-20 minutes until carrots and rutabaga are tender crisp. Add egg noodles and cook 8-10 minutes until soft. Serve hot with fresh cracked pepper or a dash of hot sauce.

Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

Sometimes I just have to cook and come up with something that his healthy and comforting that suit my tastes at the moment. Kids can fend for themselves if they can't get into what I was yearning for. That's what left overs are for.

I picked up a trick from Ina Garten on a show she did last week using lentils. Pour boiling water on them and just let them soak for a half hour to soften them up. Doing that you don't have to simmer your soup that long and turn the veggies and stuff into mush along with softening the lentils.

This soup is similar to one I did a week ago except I stepped up the heat and spices a bit by using spicy Italian sausage along with red pepper flakes. Just enough to make it a different soup, of course adding in Kale gets you tons of beta carotene, vitamin K and some powerful antioxidants into your system making a basic soup extra healthy. That's a good thing and a postive step towards living healthy.


Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage
• 1 bunch kale -coarse chopped (about 8 cups)
• 2 28 oz cans chicken broth
• 1 cup lentils -pre-soaked 30 min in boiling water.
• 1 onion -coarse chopped
• 2 carrots -sliced
• 1 T oregano
• 1 T parsley
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove sausage from casing and fry until well browned. Add onion and carrot. Reduce heat and saute until onion are clear. Scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan.

Add spices, lentils and canned broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until carrots are tender crisp. Add kale, cook 5 minutes until wilted with the ribs still tender crisp. Serve with a generous grating of Parmesan cheese.

Happy New Year Foodies and Followers

You can't start the New Year off without wishing everyone the joy, prosperity and peace for the New Year, and in this Decade, so there you go my wish for you.

My house it includes a nice brunch and watching the Rose Parade, often going down to check out the floats after it is all done and over with (parade end is about 5 miles from where I sit at the moment). This year isn't much different, 'cept I've been lazy and instead of float viewing up close and personal it will be about taking down Christmas.

For those of you who haven't tried mimosa's yet, I'd strongly suggest you do so. Its a 50/50 mix of orange juice and champagne. Forget the champagne and go for Proseco the Italian version. A much better sparkling wine in my book than traditional champagne. Not as dry and mixes better with the orange juice or peach nectar than the champagne does. Something to do with the soil and climate makes it a bit sweeter and blendable with the juices. Just a little fyi...and it is cheaper than traditional champagne by a lot.

Happy New Year all!

Sausage and Lentil Soup

I can say that I have ever cooked with lentils up until now. I've known they were healthy and good for you, the hippies back in the day said so. The first time I ever had them was in stew form as a side dish to some braised short ribs in Paris and absolutely fell in love with them. Quite tasty, but be warned as they can be a little gassy to those of you with problems with the legume family. Then again, if you have kids it could be a plus as nothing elicits giggles better than gas.

This soup is based on one that appeared in this months Bon Appetit, loosely based as the quantity it made was twice what this one does, plus I didn't have everything needed so I improvised, a lot. Also note that I used all dried spices and herbs with this soup which is a bit of a departure for me, but hey even So Cali has its months where herb gardens go dormant. So inspired by one and improvised based on own taste scores again here at casa fraz.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

• 1 lb Italian sausage-cut to1/2 inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 c chopped celery, tops included
• 1 1/2 cups lentils
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t basil
• 1/2 t marjoram
• 1/2 t thyme
• 1 T fennel, crushed lightly
• 2 T parsley
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 5 oz package fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan cheese

In large stock pot add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom. Over medium high heat add sausage. Stir often until well browned and no pink spots remain. Add onion, pepper and celery, stirring often cook until onion is translucent - about 5-8 minutes.

Add spices, chicken broth and lentils. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve hot with Parmesan grated over the top of the soup.

Dr. Pepper Devils Food Cake

I can't lay claim to the recipe or idea for this cake. I got the idea from the "Chocolate Crazy" cookbook I bought some 20 years ago. It was for a from scratch cake using Dr. Pepper as the liquid base for the cake. (Even though out of print it is copyrighted work so I can't reprint here). The cake worked for me and was a hit at numerous parties I brought it too. Then came children and the need for stupid easy shortcuts which brought about the "invention" of this version.

One thing that does take a bit of time is tracing out and cutting paper liners for the cake pans. Hardly worth skipping as it guarantees you an easy release from the pan every time. Really.


Dr. Pepper Devil's Food Cake

• 1 18oz Cake Mix - Devil's Food Chocolate
• Regular Dr. Pepper - not diet
• Pre-packaged Chocolate, or Fudge type Frosting

Follow directions on cake box for the amount of eggs and oil, substitute the water with the Dr. Pepper. Follow mixing and baking directions. (I used 3 8" pans which weren't on the box directions and they were done in 18-20 minutes). Cool cakes and frost with your favorite chocolate type frosting.

Now, just how much more stupid easy can one get?